Self-care
Self-care is incredibly important and can help to strengthen your family. If you’re happy and healthy, you can be more attentive and engaged as a parent and spouse.
Here are some ways you can look after your physical and mental wellbeing to ensure you have enough energy to continue to successfully parent and care for your children.
Practice gratitude: When you start to feel overwhelmed, try to think about the good things in your life. Even if it’s just little things. This helps you change your mindset and focus on the present instead of potential future anxiety.
Keep a journal: Spend some time every day just writing out your thoughts. This can help you uncover feelings that are just under the surface. Once you know about these emotions and what’s causing them you can deal with them directly.
Meditate: Just 5 minutes a day can help you feel rejuvenated. If you’re new to meditation, you can try one of the many guided meditation options available. If this isn’t for you, breathing exercises, closing your eyes or taking a bath can also create a meditative state helpful for reducing stress.
Create a schedule: Set aside some ‘you’ time in the schedule, whether it's going for a run, video-calling with friends or sitting down to read. If you have a partner, coordinate with them so you both get regular scheduled alone time.
Listen to music or a podcast: Music has the power to influence mood and energise. If you’re feeling anxious, listen to calming music. If you’re feeling sad, listen to uplifting music. The best part is you can listen to music while doing other tasks and you can even involve your family for an impromptu dance party if you feel everyone needs it.
Start or join a virtual book club: Virtual book clubs have taken off since people can no longer meet in person, once a week/month meet up virtually with friends and family to discuss the book you’ve read. Not only will this help you talk to people outside of your family and help you concentrate on something else, but it will also give you a weekly/ monthly goal.
Start a new hobby or re-discover an old one: Would you like to play an instrument? Have you always wanted to learn how to cook lasagna? Now is the time. Putting energy into a new hobby or skill or rediscovering old talents can help you to focus on the here and now, as well as help you feel a sense of accomplishment in learning something new.
Colour in with the kids: There’s a reason adult colouring books have skyrocketed in popularity across the world. Just like it does for children, colouring clears the mind and channels focus into the task at hand, helping you to de-stress of other worries.
Be kind to yourself: Keep in mind that everyone is under a lot more stress than normal. You won’t have the same level of resilience, patience and mental fortitude that you normally have, and that’s ok. Give yourself a break, and manage as best you can. That’s all anyone can do.